We’ve all said it before: “There ought to be a law”. After some head-shaking news reports of late, here are four suggestions that should be obvious targets for conscientious lawmakers.

Elected public officials convicted of a serious crime, should automatically lose their job as they walk into their jail cell. Let’s end the embarrassment and expulsion debates when convicts refuse to resign.

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If you believe in second chances, let the felons run again, after their sentence expires.

Firefighters responding to this Back Bay blaze, not only fought flames but battled a building well short of current fire code. Some older grandfathered buildings are not required to meet today’s safety standards. A tragedy will happen. Someone, perhaps Mayor Walsh, should champion a new law requiring all buildings come up to code.

Shouldn’t it be a crime for teachers to have sex with their students? Hard to believe that isn’t already law. Team 5 Investigates uncovered teachers, caught in sex scandals with students age 16 and older, can’t be prosecuted. Legislation, covering the behavior of a wider range of occupations which supervise kids is pending. Debate should be brief; the law is way overdue.

And finally, each week brings new damaging revelations about the Department of Children and Families. This one caught our eye: Foster parents with criminal backgrounds including sexual assaults, violent offenses, and vehicular manslaughter, are not prohibited from gaining DCF approval. These potential foster parents should be rejected and the children protected.

In all these examples, it is astounding firmer guidelines are not in place. There really ought to be a law!